Nigeria's human rights chief to declare asset publicly

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While President Goodluck Jonathan continues to keep his personal asset secret, the chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Chidi Odinkalu, will tomorrow declare his publicly.

A source close to Mr. Odinkalu, whose appointment was ratified by the National Assembly late last year, told Premium Times that the human rights boss decision to declare his asset is part of his effort to ensuring transparency in the running of the council

“Chidi is determined to make a mark with the commission. He wants to ensure that people know what he has before and after his tenure just as he wants to ensure effectiveness at the commission,” said the source.

Mr. Odinkalu’s decision to declare his asset publicly is a deviation from President Jonathan’ s decision to keep his asset declaration secret. Not only did Mr. Jonathan refuse to declare his asset publicly, the government agency responsible for keeping records of asset declaration by public officials also refused to disclose it when approached.

Last year, the African Youth Media and Communication Initiative, citing the Freedom of Information Act, requested the asset declaration of Mr. Jonathan from the Code of Conduct Bureau.

The bureau however refused to grant the request, a decision the civil society group has promised to challenge in court.

Late President Umaru Yar’Adua pioneered public asset declaration by top government officials when he declared his asset after his election in 2007. A decision the then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan reluctantly followed after much public pressure.

Bros, Please what has this got to do with your job responsibility, or how does is solve our human right problems in this country?. You are a lawyer and a sound one at that. EFCC investigated and arrested a public officers that has stolen billions of naira from public funds from the national assembly and the court says the public officers have no case to answer? If the judicial system of our country is this rotten, how then do we clean up our mess? The earlier we stop chasing shadows and focusing on core job responsibilities the better for us all especially in public offices. Those who declared their asset and still made away with public funds in the past what did human right commission did to them?

Ajantala

My question is, did GEJ break any law by not decalring his assets? Then If GEJ declared his asset publicly when he was a Vice President why requesting him to declare again when the truth is he still a public figure? What is the essence of FOI if whoever is interested in this make request for this information. Now, what about those politicians or Nigerians known to have corruptly enrished themselves what punishments have been met to them? People just do stuff to make irrelevant political points.